Why did Absolute Collagen swap Sweeteners?

Why did Absolute Collagen swap Sweeteners?

In this article we look at why we switched from sucralose sweetener to stevia.

Want to know why everyone is talking about Absolute Collagen?

Because we manufacture and retail a drinkable anti-ageing marine collagen beauty supplement in 10ml sachets right here in the UK - and we listen to our customers!

And this is all thanks to one Wolverhampton-mum who dreamt up the concept in her kitchen.

Maxine Laceby, 52, started looking at what she was putting in her body as she turned 50. After enduring a few health issues she started boiling up pigs trotters and chicken feet in her kitchen for the broth.

No sooner was she beginning to feel better - she started to look better too - and her friends started asking what it was she was doing.

“I sort of became known as the collagen dealer!” laughs Maxine. Ever one for self-development, she began researching what it was in the broth making her look and feel so good - and discovered it was the collagen from the gelatin.

Developing Absolute Collagen from this point has been a learning curve with a few changes along the way - most noticeably the changes in taste due to the switch from sucralose to stevia.

So why did Maxine and the team make the change?

Absolute Collagen had one mission: To create a Daily Dose of Beauty® and Daily Skincare Ritual ensuring maximum benefits in the most convenient and cost effective way.

Since 2015 the team at Absolute Collagen worked closely with experienced partners investing time researching, trailing and testing, resulting in the drinkable skincare; a 10ml anti-ageing marine collagen supplement that fights against the visible signs of ageing.

Maxine came up with the unique formula, which from inception contained sucralose sweetener as marine collagen naturally has a very bitter tasting flavour.

“I wanted to make the formula taste as pleasant as possible”, says Maxine. “We added a natural lemon flavouring but still wanted to mask the natural bitter taste of the collagen - so it was important we had a sweetener.”

The flagship women’s Beauty Box was launched at the Beauty Show UK in Birmingham in May 2017 featuring sucralose.

Thanks to the success of this – team AC realised there was a gap in the market for men and created their Stud Box in August 2017 – the first ingestible beauty product for men in the UK!

The Absolute Collagen formula contains the most collagen in the smallest dose at the lowest possible price with the minimum amount of fuss. It contains the same high grade marine (fish) collagen found in leading brands worldwide. Each 10ml serving contains 8000mg (8grams) of pure hydrolysed marine collagen, vitamin C, a touch of sweetener and natural lemon taste – being as ‘Absolute’ as possible.

However, it soon became apparent that customers were looking for a more natural product. “Our customers are always at the forefront of my mind,” explains Maxine. “It’s so important that they have a voice and we listen to them.

“I started getting feedback about sucralose perhaps not being the best choice of sweetener so we looked for an alternative.

“Stevia seemed like the perfect choice as it’s plant-based and many customers prefer to consume ‘natural’ ingredients.”

Whereas Stevia is natural, from the leaves of a plant, sucralose is actually a modified version of sugar (sucrose) in which chlorine is added to alter the compound.

So Maxine and the team decided to listen to their customers and opt for the more natural approach. There were several batches created before the perfect amount of stevia was introduced - which meant slight fluctuation in taste - but now everyone seems to be happy with the change.

And the results speak for themselves. Fiona Swan said: “I’ve just been asked if I’ve had aesthetic treatment!” whilst Darren said: “Only about 5 days in but I’m starting to see improvements in skin and nail condition!”